


glory & gore

by kevindazes



Category: All For The Game - Nora Sakavic
Genre: Alternate Universe - High School, Assassination, Dark Academia, F/F, F/M, M/M, Multi, Murder, Other, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Private School, Seth Gordon Lives, but not for long, do u KNOW what that means? group cuddles bitches, lowkey feel bad for doing him dirty like this, they r all platonically in love bc i said so, they're all juniors ok, wymack is so out of character whoops
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-03-27
Updated: 2020-03-27
Packaged: 2021-03-01 00:22:08
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Underage
Chapters: 2
Words: 11,382
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23216209
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kevindazes/pseuds/kevindazes
Summary: "They do know we're teenagers, right?""Yeah, teenagers with a body count."
Relationships: Katelyn/Aaron Minyard, Kevin Day/Neil Josten/Andrew Minyard, Matt Boyd/Danielle "Dan" Wilds, Neil Josten & The Foxes (All For The Game), Neil Josten/Everyone, Renee Walker/Danielle "Dan" Wilds
Comments: 6
Kudos: 22





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> ok i know that i've posted this fic once before but- listen- 
> 
> i have no explaintion other than i lost motivation when i realized that the second chapter i wrote for this did not flow with the first on the way i wanted it to, so i rewrote it two different times and it still wasn't how i wanted it so i scrapped the whole thing :/ 
> 
> but here we are!!!! back and betta than eva 
> 
> i truly do love this fic and i hope u do too
> 
> luv u and hope u enjoy <3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> trigger warning for gore

Every school had its secrets, and Palmetto Private was no different. 

Rumors surrounded the school like vultures circling a dead body. It was whispered that the students entrance exam consisted of the students having to show off their 'talents'. 

Talents that included bone breaking and blood. 

This wasn't confirmed, but when the students flooded into the shops on the weekends with matching black eyes and freshly bruised knuckles, one had to wonder what really was going on at that school. 

Friday night yielded an influx of Palmetto Private students, with their matching orange ties and fitted black jackets. This made people uncomfortable and most avoided them all together, crossing the street when they saw a group walking down the sidewalk or leaving a shop when a group entered.

Neil scoffed as he watched a father hug his son close and hurry him across the road. "They do know we're teenagers, right?" He huffed and Allison laughed from somewhere behind him. "Yeah, teenagers with a body count." 

"I have no idea what you're talking about, Al. We’re all very good children with zero homicidal tendencies." Dan smiled sweetly at the girl before folding her arms over Neil's shoulders and hopping up. Neil's hands automatically came up to hold her thighs, making sure she wouldn't fall. "Yeah, just like Renee is a good Christian girl without a knife kink." 

"Hey, Neil and Andrew have a knife kink, too." Renee defended, hitting Andrew's arm to get his attention. He cast her a nonchalant look, inhaled smoke from his cigarette and shrugged, "It's not a kink... more of a strong like."

"I think we _all_ have knife kinks," Matt mumbled, ignoring Andrew's comment. 

Andrew grunted and took one last drag of his cigarette before flicking it at the taller man’s back. Matt turned and playfully shoved Andrew away by his head. Andrew kicked Matt in the back of the knee in retaliation and smirked when the great oaf went down.

"You’re all gross." Kevin scrunched his nose up, helping Matt up to his feet.

"Don't knock it till you try it, Day." Dan turned her head to look back at the taller boy. 

"So, where are we eating tonight, kids?" Aaron asked as he pushed to the front of the group, ready to be done with the conversation. They were heading into the flowing throng of townspeople, they couldn’t afford getting caught talking like that.

The Headmaster would have their asses and they’d most likely end up with a broken finger or two for their ‘troubles’. 

“Can’t we just go to Tetsuji’s?” Matt asked, well, more like _huffed_. He was annoyed tonight, probably because his friends had dragged him out of his little tech hidey-hole. Matt preferred computers to people, especially the type of people who were his friends.

“We always have pizza.” Allison complained. 

“Plus, after what Kevin did to the owner’s nephew, I don’t think we’d be allowed back in.” Aaron added, making Kevin smirk.

“It’s not my fault idiots who go to Edgar Allan don’t know how to act. Maybe if they were taught manners instead of normal subjects, they’d actually release decent people into the world.” Kevin defended and the group made a noise of agreement. 

“Well, I guess it’s Abby’s tonight.” Aaron said excitedly, already thinking about the pie Abby would have made especially for them. It pays to have a nurse who works at Palmetto _and_ owns one of the best food places in town. 

They entered Abby’s Diner four minutes later, already bickering about something or another, Neil really wasn’t paying attention. He was too busy eyeing the people at the bar. 

The Diner was decorated in orange and white, Palmetto’s school colors. Neon signs hung from the walls, clashing horribly with the orange, but nobody had the heart to tell Abby what an eyesore they were. Booths lined the walls on both sides of the Diner, the tables white and the seats a sparkly orange. The tiled floor was checkered orange and white and the bar was black, sticking out among the too bright colors. Dull, muffled eighties music played through the old speakers.

Neil loved it here. 

What he didn’t love though, was that half of Edgar Allan’s football team was currently taking up the seats at the bar. 

He stopped in his tracks and sighed. He didn’t want to get his school clothes bloody. It was a brand new set since his last one had too many knife slashes and cigarette burns in it to be salvaged. Neil dropped Dan to her feet. 

“Are you joking? I just had this dry cleaned.” Dan all but whined, tugging on her too short plaid uniform skirt, seeming to read Neil’s mind. 

“Can’t we do just _one_ thing without violence?” Matt huffed. Matt was one of the better fighters among them, but he didn’t enjoy it. He preferred to have his hands on a keyboard rather than around someone’s neck. 

“Do you think their gonna leave without putting up some sort of fight?” Allison asked. 

“What are they even doing here? If I remember correctly, they called this place a- what was it?” Kevin looked at Andrew, who just shrugged in response. 

“Just because I have an eidetic memory doesn’t mean I’m paying enough attention to remember things.” Andrew said, flicking his golden eyes up to meet Kevin’s green ones. 

Kevin made a frustrated noise and pushed Andrew’s face away with his hand. Above all else, Kevin hated eye contact (not so much with his friends, but he could only take so much of it).

Andrew knew this, and so did everyone else at Palmetto. If anyone dared to look Kevin in the eye they ended up pushed face first into a locker. It was mostly freshman these days who couldn’t grasp the concept, but the more time passed and the more lockers that got dented, the more they seemed to understand. 

“You guys are fucking hypocrites, I don’t know why I put up with you.” Andrew mumbled before walking to their usual booth.

“You love us, blondie, you truly do!” Allison called after him and laughed when she got nothing but a middle finger in response. 

“Kids!” Abby exclaimed as she emerged from behind the bar, her smile bright and her arms stretched wide as if she expected a hug. The only ones who went for it were Dan and Allison, both Abby’s little protégés. The two girls were learning proper stitching techniques and how to properly wrap wounds from her. 

“How are my foxes this evening?” She asked as she followed them to their booth. Andrew waited patiently for Aaron, Kevin, and Renee to slide in one side before sitting down on the outer seat. Matt, Dan, Allison, and Neil sat across from them. Neil’s smile tugged cruelly at his lips.

“Looking for trouble.” Neil told the woman, who just scoffed in return. “If you’re going to go after the idiots at the bar, fine, just don’t do it in the Diner. I had a hell of a time cleaning up the blood from _last_ time.” 

“Don’t worry, Abs. Neil isn’t getting into any trouble tonight.” Kevin smiled at her as he rested his chin on his palm. Neil gave him a blank look that clearly told the green eyed idiot to _shut the fuck up_ , but of course Kevin was as stupid as he was tall. _Very._

“I doubt that.” Abby muttered to herself before she turned to head into the kitchen. 

“Kevin,” Neil smiled, just as cruel as before. No, Neil would never hurt one of his own (not consciously, anyway), but the stupid fuck had to learn. “Don’t _ever_ do that again.” 

“I was trying to look out for you, you dumb fuck. The Headmaster said one more infraction and you could lose your scholarship. Then where would you be? Back in Baltimore doing your uncle’s bidding?” Kevin asked, ignoring the way Neil tensed. “I refuse to let you go back home. I remember how you were when you came here, we all do, and no one wants to see you like that ever again. We care about you too much to let you fall that deep.”

The table was quiet as they listened, Aaron even grimacing at the thought of freshman Neil. 

Neil had arrived at Palmetto Private two days after his mother’s brother had murdered his father. Rumor was, Neil had been caught in the crossfire, watching as they littered his father and his closest employees with bullet hole after bullet hole. 

When he first walked through the doors he could barely get down the hall without having a panic attack. He couldn’t stand all the people so close to him. He was beyond paranoid that _someone, anyone_ was going to find out that Neil Josten was actually Nathaniel Wesninski and put an end to his pitiful life. 

Neil didn’t talk for the first three months. 

Andrew was the one who talked to him first, was the one who called him _rabbit_ and dragged him to an empty bathroom hastily when a panic attack had sprung up unexpectedly. 

Neil, of course, was weary of the boy but Andrew did nothing in the first few months he knew Neil to cause any concern. 

Eventually, Neil talked and eventually, he learned to not be so afraid and so weak. He learned that no matter how hard he tried to erase the part of himself that was a Wesninski, he could never truly get rid of the pure violence that was bred into his bones. 

He was Neil to keep himself sane, letting the purest parts of himself leak through into the character he’d learned to play.

Over the years, he’d been so many different people that it was hard to figure out what was an act and what was truth. Neil was everything he never got to be growing up.

“Kinda miss when you didn’t talk though, would save us a whole lot of fucking trouble if you kept your comments to yourself, Josten.” Andrew mumbled as he tore up his napkin and rolled it into a ball. He flicked it at Neil and it broke the kid from his trance. 

“I hate you all,” Neil finally grumbled as he turned away from his friend’s stares. Allison leaned her head on the boys shoulder and sighed, “We know. We hate you too, Little Red.” 

Neil groaned at the nickname and shoved Allison into a chuckling Dan. 

Abby appeared just then with their pie, not bothering with the plates, another one of her signature smiles on her face. Sometimes Neil thought about carving it off because of how much her happiness unnerved him. He was pretty sure the woman popped happy pills in the morning to manufacture that sweet chemical in the brain. He was also pretty sure she took too much of it. 

“Thanks, Abs.” Renee smiled, picking up her fork and digging in. 

They each followed her, trying to ignore the loud laughter from the bar. 

They were half way through a heated discussion on whether or not Mr. Jones was banging Mrs. Webster _and_ Mr. Lowell before Dan slammed her fork down on her napkin with a loud clang. 

This startled everyone but Andrew at the table, as he continued to pick at the pie. 

“If I have to hear one more ‘that’s what she said’ joke, I am going to push this fucking fork through each one of their eyes.” Her face seemed to burn with pure rage suddenly and she got up to climb over her friends before Matt grabbed her by the back of her jacket and yanked her down into the seat.

“No scenes in the Diner, Abby said.” He scolded before snatching the fork from Dan and handing it across the table to Aaron, not even bothering to look away from Dan’s scowling face.

“Traitors.” Dan grumbled, crossing her arms. 

“No, not traitors.” Aaron gestured to the girl with the fork. “If you get in a fight, then _Neil_ will get into a fight. Shut up and eat your fucking pie.” 

Dan scowl deepened and she reached across the table to snatch her fork back from the blonde, “I can take care of myself, you fool.” 

“Don’t I fucking know it.” Aaron grumbled, running a hand down the scar on the side of his neck.

Two years ago, freshman year for them all, The Headmaster decided to start something he called ‘Field Day’. He wanted to pit students against each other and watch with joy as they ripped each other to shreds.

The students gathered around a makeshift arena behind the school and watched as some of the school’s top students fought (not to the death, well, not to the death _most_ of the time). 

Dan and Aaron had been one of the first fights that day, both carrying knives and ready to attack at the slightest movement. 

It was brutal and Andrew had gritted his teeth the whole time, watching as Dan’s little friends cheered her on as she ripped his brother to shreds. Aaron’s problem? He could never hurt a woman, even ones trying to stick a knife in his neck. Tilda had left a lasting impression on the son she decided to keep and it drove Andrew up the wall with annoyance.

Dan had made a cheap shot at Aaron’s neck and it left a lasting scar, starting halfway up his neck and reaching all the way down to his chest. That had been _hell_ stitching up. 

Dan smirked at the memory and stabbed her fork into the pie. 

“God, you’re an evil woman.” Matt told her, which only made her smile more. “You don’t seem to mind that when we-” Dan started but was cut off when Allison clamped her manicured hand over her friend’s mouth with a grimace. 

“No one wants to know what you do to poor Matty behind closed doors, Danielle. Shut up and eat your pie like Aaron said.” Allison said, slowly removing her hand from her mouth. 

“I would certainly love to hear what that pretty little mouth of yours can do.” 

They all turned simultaneously to stare at the stupid teen standing at the front of the table, his football buddies flanked around him. 

“Oh, just fucking _wonderful._ ” Matt grumbled and slumped down in his seat, dropping his head onto the table. “I asked for one stupid fucking night,” Matt looked up, “Can you go the fuck away?”

Seth’s eyes brightened at the words and Andrew sighed. Matt was right, could they not just have one normal night? 

“No, I don’t think I will. I’m waiting to hear that fascinating story about what you and the bitch do ‘behind closed doors’.” Seth grinned. 

Neil’s fingers twitched with the anticipation of a fight. Maybe Dan was onto something with the whole stabbing a fork into an eye thing.

“A perv as well as an asshole? Aren’t you just a gift to humanity.” Renee smiled, hands moving underneath the table, no doubt twitching to take out her knives.

“We can head to the bathroom and I’ll show you the _real_ gift to humanity.” Seth’s grin grew as he cupped his crotch in suggestion. 

Oh, yeah, Neil was going to have so much _fun_ with this asshole. 

“Do you enjoy being this fucking dumb?” Aaron questioned, gesturing to the teen with his fork before he stabbed it into the pie. Just because this idiot had showed up didn’t mean that he had to stop eating. He’d been craving this pie all day and he was not about to let it go to waste. 

“Was I talking to you, _fag_?” 

Kevin’s head fell into his hands and Dan really tried to hide her snort of amusement. Homophobic slurs? Yeah, he must have had a death wish. 

Neil smiled at his friends as he got up from his seat, dropping his fork into the nearly empty pie tin. He could see Andrew tense and his hands drop under the table, no doubt ready to back Neil up (not like he needed it).

“Seth Gordon, is it?” Neil smiled sweetly, danger gleaming in his bright blue eyes. Kevin sighed rather heavily, also dropping his fork into the pie tin and clasping his hands together under the table. _Stupid,_ Kevin though, _he’s so fucking stupid._

He didn’t know if he meant Neil or Seth.

“I don’t think we’ve properly met,” Neil continued, holding out a hand, “I’m Neil Josten and these are my friends.” 

His eyes glowed a shade darker when Seth, the idiot, smacked Neil’s hand aside. 

“I know who you are, you mangy runt.” Seth scowled.

“Runt? That’s a new one.” Allison laughed. 

Seth shoved Neil’s smaller frame aside so he could get a look at the blonde girl. “Allison Reynolds? Didn’t know they accepted sluts like you up at that crazy school.” He retorted, much to Allison’s delight. 

“Oh, they accept more than just sluts.” She smiled evilly at him as her fingers curled dangerously around her fork. 

Neil would have to admit that it would have been amusing to tie up the bastard and watch as the girls shoved their eating utensils into Gordon’s body, but he had other more… exciting plans. 

“Out of respect for Abby and this lovely diner, I’m asking we take this outside.” Neil suggested, already shucking off his school jacket and rolling up the sleeves of his white dress shirt. He’d have to order _another_ because blood never came out of Palmetto’s dress shirts. 

“You think you can take me, runt?” Seth laughed, his friends joining in. Neil’s eyes narrowed but his smile never wavered, “Scared that a ‘runt’ like me can kick your ass?” 

Neil had been itching for a fight since the moment he’d left The Headmaster’s office that morning. He’d been daydreaming about pushing his knives through thick flesh and hearing the cries of a man in agony, thinking about all the joy he would get by finally letting all his frustrations go. A quick after school sparring session with Renee and Andrew did fuck all, so Neil left Palmetto earlier that night with one thought: _Hurt._

“Neil,” Kevin warned but was hushed when Aaron’s hand came to rest on his arm, warning him not to say anything. Neil was slipping into another state of mind, putting _Neil_ away so _Nathaniel_ could come out and play, could finish what Seth Gordon had started. 

“Scared? No way in hell someone as small as you could take me down.” Seth sniffed, confident and smiling. 

Neil pretended he didn’t hear the girls snicker.

“Wanna test that theory?” 

Seth’s cockiness was only egging Neil on, making this all the more enjoyable.

“Ten bucks says that you have him down before the first minute.” One of the football players piped up, smirking as the others started taking him up on the bet. 

“You all are so fucking stupid.” One football player announced before turning to head back to the bar, most likely to get out of what was about to happen. 

Neil smirked, they should listen to their little friend. 

“You’re on.” Seth said and Neil let his father’s smile slip through the fine tuned mask that was Neil Josten. Oh, this was going to be _so_ much fun. 

Kevin caught Neil’s arm before he could follow the hoard of football players out the door, “Neil, this is a bad idea.” 

“Aren’t those the best ones?” Neil smirked before pulling his arm out of Kevin’s death grip and sauntering through the Diner’s doors. He could hear Kevin cursing up a storm behind him but couldn’t bring himself to care, well, at least not right now. Neil was no longer Neil, he was every single thing his father had made him. 

A Runner, a secret, a _killer._

He was every bit of Nathaniel Wesninski at the moment and nothing, _nothing_ was going to stop him from cracking Seth Gordon’s skull in two. 

Though he’d never truly admit it, he was quite protective of his friends. He supposed actions speak louder than words, anyways.

Andrew sighed as he watched their little rabbit stalk out the door, his body tense with anger. Andrew doubted anybody who didn’t know Neil would be able to notice it. 

“Are we really going to let him do this?” Kevin asked wearily, hands running through his dark hair and face wrinkled with worry. “Are you going to get between him and that fucker? Seth deserves whatever Neil has in store, you know it and so does everybody else. You try and interfere and Neil might just put you down right along with him.” 

Neither of them believed Neil would hurt one of his own, not really, but it seemed to do the trick in shutting Kevin up.

The two followed their friends outside and Kevin managed to make his expression blank when the girls reached out for him. “You worry too much, Kev.” Allison told him as she looped her arm around his, squishing her cheek into his shoulder.

“He’s gonna be fine. The Headmaster might not like it but Gordon provoked us.” Dan added as she stood on her tiptoes and ruffled Kevin’s already messed up hair. He swatted her away half-heartedly as he tried to focus on his breathing. 

Kevin truly worried too much about them all, and he knew that every single one of them could take care of themselves, but he couldn’t help it. His friends were the only reason he was alive right now and wasn’t cowering away in the corner of his room or flinching away from every single touch. They were the reason he was still _Kevin_ and not some PTSD riddled teen with no sense of hope. 

Matt slumped against the brick wall once they reached the alley behind the Diner, holding a hand out for one of Andrew’s cigarettes when he noticed him lighting up. He refused to get involved unless Neil really needed help, and he probably would if Gordon’s buddies realized that Neil wasn’t actually a ‘runt’. 

“Who says that Neil’s even gonna fuck him up that bad? The Headmaster might not even find out.” Renee tried to argue but received blank looks in return. 

“You’ve met Neil, Renee. Do you really think he’s gonna let that bastard go after what he said? Whew, I didn’t know you were a fucking comedian, too.” Aaron gave a hollow laugh as he went to lean against the brick beside Matt, stealing the cigarette and taking a drag. 

Renee just scowled instead of replying and slipped a tiny hand around the top of Kevin’s arm, to keep him in place in case things really got violent and to offer comfort. 

“I bet you hit like a girl.” Seth smiled as he and Neil began to square off. Neil laughed as his eyes analyzed Gordon’s body, already planning on places to target and where his weak spots were. It was one of the first things he’d perfected at Palmetto, his years on the run helping. He could have Gordon down in no less than three hits _if_ he really wanted the bastard to go down that fast. 

“I hit like a girl? I’ll take that as a compliment.” Neil said before he lobbed a punch at Gordon’s unprotected stomach. 

The whoosh of air leaving the taller teen’s lungs only spurred Neil on and he brought his knee up into the Gordon’s face when he hunched over. 

The sight of the blood leaking from Gordon's nose set Neil’s teeth on edge. He swore his insides were burning with satisfaction at the sight. 

He wanted to see _more,_ wanted to watch as it leaked out of Seth Gordon’s useless body and out onto the black asphalt. He wanted to watch as it flowed and created a pool, bright red and gleaming in the street lights. 

Neil delivered an elbow to Gordon’s back, forcing him onto his knees before he took a swing at the man’s head. 

He wasn’t focused enough on what was happening around him to notice that the football players were all standing still with shock. 

Gordon’s body slumped over onto the asphalt and Neil delivered the last disorienting blow, a kick to the head. 

He could have sworn he’d knocked a tooth out with the force of it. 

It was a quick fight, which made Neil frown. 

“Oh, God, I know that look. Neil, stop.” Kevin pulled at Renee’s hand but she only clamped onto him tighter. “Don’t do whatever you’re thinking about doing, _don’t._ ” Kevin tried to plead but nobody could reach Neil once he’d gone down this far. 

He hauled Seth Gordon up by the back of his blood stained shirt and began to pull him through the crowd of people, not bothering to look at any of them. 

Neil silently prayed to whatever God was up there that there was nobody on the street, not that he would have cared anyway. It just would be easier if the police weren’t called. 

He finally made it to the road and his tossed Gordon’s body onto the tarmac, that damn smile pulling at his lips. “I’ve always wanted to try this.” He whispered to a whimpering Gordon before he began positioning his body. 

“Neil,” Andrew muttered, but Neil didn’t even bother to look up as he opened Gordon’s mouth and set his teeth on the top of the curb. 

“Neil,” Andrew tried again and still got no reaction. “Neil, there are too many witnesses, you can’t-” 

“Oh, it won’t kill him.” Neil hummed as he finally got Gordon’s mouth propped up on the curb the way he wanted. “At least, I don’t _think_ it will kill him.”

He looked up and Andrew, smirking, and then drove his heel into the back of Gordon’s skull, ripping his mouth almost in half and smashing the top set of his teeth. 

An awful cracking sound echoed through the eerie night and it only intensified that buzzing in Neil’s veins. 

“Fuck, that felt good.” He breathed, kicking Gordon’s limp body with the toe of his shoe before shrugging. 

“Oops.” Neil giggled childishly, walking past a blank faced Andrew and back into the diner. 

“He- He did not-” Kevin was nearly hyperventilating as he came out of the alley. Allison tried her best to keep him upright, holding him close as she whispered soothing things into his ear. 

Andrew sighed heavily before flicking his nearly finished cigarette at Gordon’s body and turning around to find Abby staring through the front window of the diner at the scene, phone pressed to her ear. 

“She better be calling clean up.” Matt grimaced as he stepped around the gore leaking out of Seth’s bashed head.

“That’s what you’re fucking worried about, Matt?” Aaron asked, voice unusually quiet but still full of heat.

None of them were strangers to death, each having taken lives before. They’d watched _each other_ take lives before. They weren’t scared of death and they weren’t worried about Seth Gordon. 

They were worried about the little red head currently eating the rest of their pie, blood leaking from his split knuckles and dripping onto the table. 

“Fuck, Ally, fuck, I-” Kevin dropped to his knees and struggled with his breaths. “He- He’s gonna get kicked out, The Headmaster is going to kick him out. He can’t go back to his uncle, he can’t. T-They’ll make him Nathaniel.” 

Allison dropped to her knees next to her friend and tried to calm down his breathing. 

“Kevin, I hate to tell you this,” Renee piped up, “But he never was just Neil.” 

Aaron walked over to Andrew and both of them stared down at the body, curiosity growing in Aaron’s eyes while Andrew’s remained blank. 

“You said you could stop him.” Aaron stated and Andrew turned his blank look on his brother. “I said I could stop _Neil_.” Andrew corrected. 

“What are we gonna do about them?” Dan asked, gesturing a hand at the group of freaked out Edgar Allan football players. 

Then, the car pulled up. 

“Not our problem anymore.” Andrew shrugged before turning to walk back into the diner. He was not in the mood to deal with The Headmaster. He needed to calm Neil down enough so he could explain his actions. The boy was near unresponsive when he got like this. 

“Neil,” Andrew started, sliding into the booth right next to the teen. Neil didn’t seem to notice as he licked his fork clean before dropping it into the empty tin. 

He flexed his bleeding hands out in front of him, watching as the bright red substance dripped down his wrist. He must have cut them on Seth’s facial piercings. 

Andrew brought his own hand up to block Neil’s line of sight, finally winning the boys attention. “Drew?” Neil smiled, dropping his hands on the table. 

“Hey,” Andrew said softly, keenly aware of Abby approaching from behind them. He reached a hand out for the first aid kit he knew she was holding, eyes never leaving the boy next to him. “Your hands hurt?” 

“Nah, I can’t feel it. Never can feel anything after I…” Neil just smiled as he trailed off. 

Andrew set the first aid kit on the table, pushing all the napkins and forks off to the side as he flipped it open. 

“Lemme see,” He mumbled, gauze in one hand to wipe away the blood.

“Oh, are we playing doctor? Want me to tell you where it hurts so you can kiss it better?” Neil smirked, letting a blank faced Andrew take his hand. 

“Shut up.” Andrew all but growled but that did nothing but make Neil’s bratty little smirk grow wider. 

They ignored the chime of the little bell over the door, not looking up at the man in the dark suit as he approached. 

The cane he carried was a sleek black, the head of a fox carved onto the silver top. Every student at Palmetto had been hit with it enough to know that it was real and it _hurt_. He wore all black attire, suit pressed and clean, a hint of those flame tattoos on his arms peeking out at his wrists. 

“What a surprise, finding you two here.” The Headmaster, David Wymack, said before he dropped into the seat across from them. Andrew didn’t bother to spare their school’s principal a glance, too busy focusing on Neil’s split knuckles. 

“A surprise indeed!” Neil smiled as he looked up, “What exactly are you doing here on this fine Friday evening, Headmaster?” 

“Cleaning up after little pricks who have hearing problems, apparently.” 

“Sounds like you lead a rough life there, Headmaster.” Neil replied with confidence but Andrew could feel his hands trembling. 

“I do, especially when I have to deal with teenagers who don’t do what their told.” The Headmaster’s cold smile spread across his face. Neil stopped his flinch just in time. 

“So, while we’re on the topic of misbehaving teens,” The Headmaster began, “Why exactly did you think it was a good idea to curb stomp one of Edgar Allan’s star football players?” 

“He made some… unsavory comments.” Neil winced as Andrew applied alcohol to one of the bigger cuts. “He also thought he could take me and you know how good I am at proving people wrong.” 

Andrew wanted to hit the fucking idiot. Did he think that The Headmaster was going to let him off easy? There were simple rules at Palmetto you followed or you washed out, were sent back to wherever you came from with the threat of death hanging over you if you even breathed a word about Palmetto Private being a ‘different’ school. 

Andrew slapping Neil’s hand and didn’t bother to look up when he mumbled, “Behave.” 

The Headmaster chuckled as he leaned further back in the booth. “I believe that's _exactly_ what I said this morning, yes? So why listen to this pint sized goth and not me?” 

“Where are the others?” Neil deflected, giving Andrew his other hand when he was all bandaged up. 

“Headed back to the school, I believe. You’re all on lock down until I can fix this fucking mess you dragged us all into. Which could last a while, so, get used to scrubbing the toilets and cleaning up after the first grader art class. I’ll maybe even have you babysit the younger ones.” The Headmaster leaned across the table and lowered his voice, “After that, we’ll discuss exactly what punishment you should receive for disobeying me.” 

“I think Kevin will have a heart attack if I leave, so I wouldn’t put that down as a viable option.” Neil told the older man and suppressed his flinch when The Headmaster gripped his chin, “Finish up here and head straight back to the school, are we clear?” 

When Neil only nodded, the grip on his chin grew tighter, “Are we clear, Nathaniel?” 

“Yes, Headmaster.” Neil gritted out, gripping Andrew’s knee tightly under the table to prevent from swatting the hand away from his chin. 

“Good,” The Headmaster easily slid out of the booth with a wide smile, “Have a great night, boys.” 

Andrew watched him walk through the doors of the Diner, ignoring the way Abby sighed behind the bar. 

“You okay?” Andrew asked as he continued to work on Neil’s hand. “Ever thought of sewing his mouth shut? While he was still alive?” Neil replied, eyes unfocused as he tried to separate himself from the feelings of fear and pain. 

Neil wasn’t good at dealing with emotions, that’s why he had to shut down every time he killed. Andrew wasn’t good at dealing with emotions either and he guessed that’s why they fit together the way they did. 

“Maybe once or twice.” 

“Okay, I’ll drug him and then you can strap him to one of those tables down in the basement where they keep the test bodies, and then we’ll take turns craving him up.” 

“Why do I have to do all the hard work?” 

“Because I planned it.” 

“Pft, you didn’t plan _shit._ ” 

They continued to bicker as Andrew finished up Neil’s hand, putting the supplies away and closing the first aid kit softly. It was quiet for a second before Andrew spoke up. 

“I can ask Aaron to bunk with Matt and Kevin tonight, if you want.” He said softly. He knew that Neil didn’t like to be alone after things like this and he doubted George would appreciate a panicking Neil waking him up every two hours or so. 

“Come on,” Andrew smiled slightly, trying to lighten the mood, “We can watch that new show Allison had been going on and on about.” 

“Yeah, okay.” Neil’s smile was small, but it was still a smile and Andrew counted that as a win. 

Abby was told to drive the two back to the school and just to be an asshole, Neil rolled down the windows in the back and refused to let Abby roll them up. 

“Live a little, Abs!” Neil yelled as he leaned over Andrew and the center console to fiddle with the radio. A rap song began to play through the speakers at a loud volume and Andrew rolled his eyes, pulling Neil back into his seat. He leaned close and whispered in Neil’s ear, “You’re so fucking annoying.” 

“I think you mean fun.” Neil replied, sticking his tongue out at Andrew before dramatically sticking his head out the window and screeching. 

Andrew knew the kid was just trying to enjoy the last bit of freedom he’d have. The Headmaster probably wouldn’t let him out for months. 

As they neared the school, Andrew yanked the idiot back inside by his jacket and rolled the windows up while Neil protested. “You’re just going to attract attention. The rumors are probably already spreading.” Andrew told him after he’d reached forward and turned the music off. 

“Oh fuck off, you love the attention just as much as I do.” Neil tried to argue but Andrew just rolled his eyes. 

He did not like all those eyes on him everyday and he really did not like the fact that they’d taken to calling him ‘The Monster’ behind his back. He’s not even sure how he’d earned that particular nickname and didn’t really care, as long as people were scared enough to keep their distance. 

They reached the high stone gate and Abby rolled down her window to type in the keycode, which changed everyday. Only a select few knew the keycodes (Renee included). 

“God, this place is so depressing at night.” Neil said as Abby pulled slowly up the cobblestone driveway.

The school had several buildings, the main one housing the high school on the first floor and the teenagers lodging on the four stories above it (freshman on the second, seniors on the top floor). 

The outer buildings were smaller, home to the elementary school, middle school, staff housing, and the orphanage. 

The Headmaster liked to collect children, ones who’d been abandoned and left on the steps of churches. The children got a regular education until they reached ninth grade, which is when the real fun started. 

Neil hopped out of the car and stretched, large smile on his face that made Andrew shake his head. It was an act, but nearly everything with Neil was. Andrew could see the fear of what this all meant bubbling underneath his skin, trapped. Neither of them would get much sleep tonight. 

“Night, Abs. Thanks for the ride, you’re a real doll.” Neil winked at her and slapped the cars hood before taking off for the front door of the main buliding. Andrew stared after him for a moment, watching the nearly believable facade Neil had managed to pull over himself in a matter of minutes. 

That kid amazed him sometimes. 

“Andrew?” Abby spoke up and he turned his head to face her. “Yeah?” 

“You’ll make sure he-“ 

“Of course, Abs.” He gave her a reassuring smile, one neither of them quite believed, climbed out and closed the car door. 

He watched as she pulled away and made the slow drive back towards the gates. He sighed heavily and readied himself mentally before turning to follow Neil inside. 

The bottom floor of the building was always eerie at night, all dim lights and dark hallways. It made him uneasy as he walked across the wide expanse of the commons, like something was watching him, waiting for the right moment to wat him alive. 

The main staircase was grand, splitting in the middle and going up either side of the wall. He could hear Neil distantly, his steps echoing off the empty halls. 

They really needed elevators. Walking four flights of stairs everyday was annoying. 

The dorm floors were lit by lamps that hung from the walls, casting the ugly patterned carpet in yellow light. Neil leaned against the wall by Andrew’s door, hands in his pockets and one foot crossed over the other. “You don’t want to stop at your room first?” Andrew asked as he walked up, keys in hand. 

“Figured I could just borrow some of your clothes, _buddy_.” Neil smiled but Andrew just rolled his eyes as he unlocked the door. Why Neil hadn’t dropped the act yet, Andrew didn’t know. He was waiting for it though, waiting for the moment when his ice blue eyes would blank and he’d revert into himself. 

It was also a matter of time before a crying Kevin would show up at his door, sniffling and ready to curse Neil out for what he did. 

“Buddy?” Andrew asked and Neil’s eyes sparked in the dim light as he brought a finger to his lips and shushed Andrew. “The walls have ears,” He whispered, gesturing his fingers towards the walls. 

Andrew unlocked his door and pushed it open, allowing Neil to enter first. “Looks like Aaron already cleared out,” Neil muttered as he kicked his shoes off and started to undo his tie. Andrew looked over towards Aaron’s bed and saw that it was empty. “Looks like he knows us better than he lets on,” Andrew replied. 

Neil didn’t respond, just continued to undress. Andrew walked over to his dresser and began opening random drawers to find clothes for Neil. He didn’t even bother to look behind him as he tossed a hoodie and a pair of sweats Neil’s way. 

Andrew grabbed clothes for himself before walking into his shared bathroom. That was one of the good things about Palmetto dorms, private bathrooms. He didn’t close the door, though he normally would have. A closed door meant not being able to see Neil. Not being able to see Neil meant the boy was left to his own devices, which was never good in a normal situation. It was especially not good in _this_ situation. 

Andrew changed quietly, staring at his armbands for just a moment before pulling them off. He left them there, on the bathroom sink, as he walked out. 

Neil had already taken it upon himself to crawl into Andrew’s bed. He was curled tightly into the corner, covers pulled up over his head with only his face and a few tufts of auburn hair visible. Neil stared at him and Andrew stared right back, waiting for Neil to say something. 

A full minute passed, their eyes never leaving each other. 

“What are you waiting for? Get on the bed.” Neil finally ground out, a hand reaching out under the blanket to lift it in invitation. 

Andrew flicked the light off before he walked over, flopping onto the mattress. He laid on top of the covers and ignored the look Neil was giving him. “No?” Neil asked. 

“Give me a min,” Andrew muttered as he flopped a hand on his nightstand for the remote. Last Christmas, Nicky had gifted the twins with a new TV to set up in their dorm. It had been hell to carry up the stairs, so Andrew made Matt and Kevin do it for him. 

He finally found the remote and clicked the power button and the dim light flickered on in the darkness. Andrew put on a random kids movie instead of the TV show Allison had suggested, more in the mood for animation than true crime. 

“What about Allis-” 

“Do you want to watch people get convicted of murder right now?” 

Neil shut his mouth and seemed to retract further into the wall. Andrew dropped the remote of the floor without much care before grabbing the blankets and pulling them over himself.

Another good thing about Palmetto dorms? The beds could fit nearly four people, which, when you thought about their friend group, was a _really_ good thing.

“Yes?” Neil asked this time, eyes shining in the flash of colors coming from the TV. “Yes.” Andrew confirmed, laying flat on his back and scooting closer to the middle of the bed. “Where?” Neil hesitated as he started to move, still mindful of Andrew’s boundaries despite his current dwindling mental state. “Come on,” Andrew muttered, reaching out and pulling Neil on top of him.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this is kinda heavy
> 
> major trigger warning for toxic relationships, animal mutilation, neil's past, seth's death, etc.

Andrew woke up the moment he heard the dorm door open. 

His sleepy mind was on high alert in a second, his hand instantly going towards the back of the headboard. He'd taped a knife there his freshman year. His hand stopped mid-movement though, for he'd heard sniffling. 

Neil had also woken up from the noise of the door rather than Andrew's movement on the mattress, his own hand going for the knife wedged in between the bed and the wall. He stopped, too, once he heard it.

They both looked towards the door. Kevin stood there, his body silhouetted by the yellow light in the hallway. It was a scene straight out of horror movie, a still of the killer just before he lunged and took his victim's life. It would have been scary if it wasn't for the tears he was trying to wipe away and the little hiccups he was letting out. It was quite adorable actually, like an angry, drunk toddler. 

There was a nearly empty bottle of vodka in his hand and the liquid sloshed in its bottle when he threw it. The two flinched on the bed at the sound of glass breaking when the bottle hit the wall just above the headboard. "Kevin-" Neil scrambled over Andrew quickly but stopped when Kevin stepped into the room, swaying slightly on his feet, and slammed the door closed.

Andrew recognized the malice in Kevin's tense form and he tried to mentally prepare himself. 

He knew Kevin would have come to his room eventually and he knew that an argument would ensue, but no matter how many times it happened, it was never easy to experience second-hand. Sober Kevin was quiet (sometimes) and gentle (most of the time). A sober Kevin's fingertips would ghost over Andrew's jaw to check if a cut above his eyebrow was in need of stitches. Sober Kevin would worry about his friends and let his anxiety get the best of him. 

Drunk Kevin was an entirely different entity. He sneered in your face and his fingers left bruises when he gripped your chin. His hands shook and his words cut deeper than any knife. Drunk Kevin had no regards for your feelings. He spit his abuse rapidly and hit all the rights spots, knowing exactly what words would hurt you the worst. It was like he was playing darts and hitting the bulls eye every single time. 

"Shut the fuck up, Neil. Just- shut the fuck up." Kevin snarled, his words slightly slurred. 

Andrew curled in on himself and pressed his chin to his knees, eyes blank as he picked a fold on the sheets to focus on. He thought absently of his arm bands laying across the sink and he ached with the need to pull them on, to cover himself up and hide. The next best thing, he decided, was to pull the blanket over his shoulders. So he did just that, making himself a little cocoon before he unfocused his eyes again and tried to distance himself. 

He should have gotten up and stood between them, mediating and trying to turn the oncoming argument into a conversation. He should of, but Andrew felt... small next to Kevin. He felt like he was a bug and Kevin's boot could come down on top of him at any second. 

What Andrew hated the most, though, was the fact that he didn't care. He didn't care what Kevin did to him because he loved Kevin Day. Andrew would deal with this Kevin so he could keep the Other Kevin. He was so used to putting himself through pain so he could keep the good things in his life that his feelings didn't matter anymore. 

"I'm sorry," Neil whispered, hands lost in the sleeves of the shirt he'd borrowed from Andrew. He was looking at his feet, not able to find the courage to look at Kevin's twisted face.

"Fuck you, Josten. Fuck you and your apology. We both know you don't mean it." Kevin's eyes were wide and he was leaning heavily on Andrew's dresser. He looked unhinged, nearly deranged, with his dark hair going every which way and his body shaking. Neil cringed away from the sight, unconsciously, curling in on himself. Against his will, Neil's brain conjured up a recycled memory of his father moments before he swung an ax. Neil heard the dull, wet thud of the blade meeting body that accompanied the image and he resisted the urge to flinch. 

He tried to remind himself that it was just Kevin.

"I am, Kevin. I'm-" 

"What the fuck did I say?" Kevin's voice was cold and firm despite the slurring. "You- you got him! You kicked his ass, A fucking plus for you! You could have left it at that, let him go back to his little school with the embarrassment attached to him for the rest of his high school career. But you just couldn't resist, could you?" Kevin laughed, bitterly. He was crying again, but you couldn't tell unless you knew him well enough. It was just the slightest twinge of his voice that indicated it. It tugged at Neil's heart. 

The cartoon movie Andrew had put on earlier played awkwardly in the background, the main character's chipper voice causing a headache to spark behind Andrew’s eyelids. 

"You split his skull in two! His brains-" Kevin choked on his words and hit the floor too fast to be intentional. He pulled his knees to his chest and buried his hands in his hair for what must be the millionth time tonight, rocking back and forth as he continued to talk. "His brains were splattered on the sidewalk. His teeth were- they were crushed. And you laughed, fuck, you laughed like it was all some kind of joke." He was stuttering now, full on losing it. 

Neil didn't know what to do. He himself couldn't fully explain how... how he worked. Neil was Neil until he was Nathaniel, and after Nathaniel had done his work, Neil came back. That's how it had always been. 

Neil hated it with his entire being but he needed Nathaniel like Kevin needed vodka and Allison needed Adderall and Andrew needed a Yes or No. 

Nathaniel was an infection in Neil's blood that had been there since he was born. He could never be purged. He could never be gotten rid of. 

Andrew thought, for just a second, that he should get up and pull Kevin out of the dark corner he'd settled into but he couldn't find it in him to move. This wasn't his argument. He watched quietly as Neil sat on the floor a few feet away from Kevin.

"You know, I think you like it." Kevin started suddenly, before Neil could say anything. "I think you like all the chaos you cause, all the shocked looks you get. God, Neil, you're so fucked up. Way more fucked up than any of us and we've all killed. I've slit nine peoples throats and didn’t take any joy from it, but you do. You love blood and a pliant victim, someone you can manipulate and do whatever you want with. You loved the fact that he couldn't fight back as you drove your boot into the back of his head." 

Andrew knew it was true, but he'd never say it. Truths like this were only revealed when Kevin was drunk, when his filter had been turned off. Andrew pressed his hands over his ears in a childlike gesture to stop from hearing what Kevin was saying. He screwed his eyes shut and tried to block it out. He heard the soft sound Neil made at Kevin's words, a sound that indicated he was trying to swallow back the tears in his eyes, and he pressed his hands harder over his ears. 

Neil, to his credit, was warring with himself. It wasn't him who liked it, it wasn't. It was his childhood, the part of himself that was predestined to be The Butcher of Baltimore's son. It was the small child with a fresh burn in the shape of an iron on his shoulder holding a knife and taking apart a dead animal one limb at a time, thinking it would make his father proud of him for once. He just wanted to make him proud. 

Neil shuddered. 

"I hate you," Kevin whispered, so harsh, so full of spite. Kevin wanted Neil to hurt, wanted him to realize that Neil was just as bad as his foundations suggested, no matter how hard he tried to hide it. "You really are your father's son."

Neil's breath left his lungs too fast and he made a strangled noise at the sudden loss of air. 

Like father, like son, He could hear Lola whisper in his ear snidely, her red painted bottom lip caught between her diamond studded teeth. I always thought you'd turn out to be a pussy, but I guess you proved me wrong, Junior. 

Neil was gasping for a breath that just wouldn't come. He was trying to force the word no up and out of his throat but it wasn't working. He felt the ghost of Lola's purple painted fingernails dig into his shoulder blade as she pushed him down into a chair and made him watch as she tore apart a live dog (that Neil had been playing fetch in the living room no less than three minutes before) with practiced apathy and steady swipes of her knife. 

"Stop," Neil tried and it sounded hoarse and fake to his ears. It sounded nothing like Neil and everything like his father's voice. Neil wanted to rip his vocal cords out. "Stop, please," He tried again. 

"Did I hit a sore spot there, Junior?" Kevin said, voice emotionless and cold. Neil clamped his hands over his ears and pulled his knees up so he could shove his head between them. "Please," Neil whispered one last time. He snapped his eyes closed once he'd realized he'd started crying. He couldn't- Neil didn't know what to do. 

"You're going to be a Wesninski until the day you die, Nathaniel," Kevin told him, voice keeping the same cold tone as before. "I- I fucking- I cried over you. I thought you were going to leave, and you still might. He might not even let you leave, don't you get that? He could just as easily shoot you and have you burned like the rest. You-" Kevin stopped, choking on the words as he started to cry again. 

"I'm- I'm so god damn scared for you and you don't care," Kevin was crying just as much as Neil was now. "You don't care about any of us, do you? You're so fucking selfish. Did you stop to think about how Matt would feel if you died? Or Allison? Andrew? Any of us?" 

Andrew flinched at the sound of his name, his own face buried into the blanket he'd wrapped himself in. No matter how hard he tried, he couldn't escape Kevin's words and he couldn't help but agreeing. It felt wrong, but his stomach twisted and lurched at the idea of- of Neil not being here anymore. Andrew didn't think he could- fuck, he didn't even know. 

"I'm so, so, so, sorry," Neil whispered, broken and quiet and so full of sincerity. His impulsivity was going to cost him everything one day if he didn't start thinking before he made decisions. 

"Are you, Neil? Are you sorry? For what? For killing that kid or for not thinking before you did it? Who are you sorry to?" Kevin's voice had grown steadier, even though he was still drunk. Andrew wondered vaguely if Kevin would even remember any of this in the morning before he was pulled out his thoughts by Neil's voice. 

He'd gotten his breathing under control enough to lift his head and look into Kevin's hooded green eyes. They stared at each other, two boys so full of hate from a childhood that wasn't what it should of been and so full of love for each other that it burned them from the inside out. Kevin's wrath came from a place of love for Neil, no matter how twisted and mangled it was. 

Toxicity, Andrew thought. 

One of these days, they were going to tear each other apart and no one was going to be able to stop it. 

Neil stared at Kevin for only a moment longer before he turned his head to look at Andrew. He was still curled into the blankets, his eyes blankly focused on Kevin and Neil on the floor. He looked back at Neil and waited. 

"I'm not sorry for killing that asshole because he fucking deserved it after the stuff he said about the girls and Aaron." Neil told them both, "What I am sorry for, is-" Neil swallowed, "I'm sorry for- for still trying to make a dead man proud. Nathan only ever saw me as a project to be perfected. I hate him now, but the only thing I ever wanted when I was younger was to- to be what he needed me to be. I- I'm sorry for- for forgetting that I have a real family now, one that actually cares if I die or not. I'm sorry I-" Neil couldn't think anymore because Kevin had leaned forward to put a hand around the back of Neil's neck and smash their lips together. 

The sound that left Neil was both from surprise and relief, eagerly kissing back with the ferocity of a dying man struggling for his last breath. Neil's hand came up to grip Kevin's shirt, fingers tangling in the dark fabric as he held on for dear life. 

They didn't pull away until they were both gasping for breath. 

Andrew made a noise on the bed, more of a whine than anything but he'd never admit that it was a plea for their attention. Neil wiped at his face as he stood up, holding a hand out for Kevin. 

He lugged the boy up and they stumbled a little and Neil let out a breathless laugh and so did Kevin. The tightness that had gripped his chest during the fight had faded so fast Neil had almost forgot that it was there in the first place. 

He dropped Kevin's body onto the bed and then began methodically undressing him until he was in nothing but his boxers and shirt. Andrew was wiping at Kevin's tear stained face with the edge of the blanket, mumbling softly to him and pressing little kisses to his face every so often. 

No matter what other people thought, Andrew Minyard was one of the softest boys Neil had ever met. 

"Yes?" Neil asked as he leaned over Andrew on the bed, one hand braced on the edge and the other on the pillow above Kevin's head. "Mhm," Andrew hummed his agreement as he turned quickly away from Kevin to pressed a soft, slow kiss to Neil's lips. It lasted no longer than five seconds but it set Neil's skin alight with goosebumps. 

It was Kevin this time who whined as he swatted a hand out towards Neil and pulled him over the two of them. Neil settled in between the wall and Kevin's back as Andrew threw the blanket over the three of them. 

It wasn't perfect, no, but it certainly was something. 

Seven hours later, Neil woke up to a pounding on Andrew's dorm door. 

He groaned lowly and brought a hand up to wipe at his face. He felt heavy, the way you feel after you've slept too much but it still wasn't enough. He wanted to roll over and bury his head in to Andrew's pillows and fall back asleep, but the knocking at the door was getting louder and louder the longer he laid there. 

"Someone get the fucking door." Andrew muttered on the other side of Kevin, face half in Kevin's back and half in the blankets wrapped around him. Kevin snored lightly between them, still dead to the world. 

Neil groaned again and skillfully untangled himself from Kevin's long limbs (Kevin was a cuddler, no matter how much he denied it when he was awake, his body always betrayed him while he slept). Kevin made a small noise of protest in his sleep before his half awake brain realized there was another source of body heat on the bed. Neil allowed himself to laugh softly at the little whine of protest Andrew made before he got trapped between Kevin and the bed. 

He yawned heavily as he swung the door open, scratching absently at side of his face. On the other side of the door stood George, his roommate. 

"Morning, Georgie," Neil smiled. 

"Don't 'Morning, Georgie,' me, you prick. I got woke up at the ass crack of dawn today when one of the service units for the office came knocking at our door. What exactly did you do this time, fucktard?" 

George was a little guy, littler than Andrew. His hair was in a fiery halo around his freckled head and his wire frame glasses were askew on his nose. The oversized shirt and Scooby Doo boxers were contradicting with the fury on his face and Neil almost let a laugh out, but swallowed it down. If he laughed, he'd surely get a kick in the balls and it was too early to be in that much pain. 

"Something bad." Neil replied. 

George huffed and rolled his eyes, crossing his freckled arms and staring angrily at Neil, "Something bad," He mocked, quite poorly, Neil might add. "Whatever, I don't fucking care. You're needed in The Headmaster's office asap or something. I wasn't fully paying attention." 

Neil nodded and accepted it for what it was, "Thanks, Georgie. Don't know what I'd do without you." 

"You'd die." George spat before he twirled around on his shoeless feet and stomped back towards their dorm. "Probably," Neil shrugged to himself and closed the door. He leaned against it for a moment afterwards, letting Kevin's soft snores calm him down. He took a few deep breathes as he tried to remember that David Wymack was a bad guy but so was his Uncle. 

If Neil was shot and burned today, than The Headmaster wouldn't be too far behind. 

That almost made him smile. 

"Stop smiling like a serial killer and get a move on. If you keep him waiting any longer he'll actually kill you." Andrew's voice said, floating up from where he was squished against Kevin's chest. "I'm counting on it," Neil replied. 

"Shut up." 

Neil smiled to himself and stripped as he made his way to the bathroom, not bothering to care where he threw his clothes, knowing the mess would piss Andrew off. 

After showering and changing into more of Andrew's clothes, Neil ran a shaky hand through his damp hair. The Headmaster looked nothing like Nathan but his presence matched his father's. When he was on the run with his mother, Neil had learned to be wary of every older man he crossed. It was a fear that wouldn't leave him not matter how hard he tried to hide it. Just the thought of sitting in the man's office alone was freaking Neil the fuck out. 

"I can go with you, if you want." Andrew said, staring at Neil from the bed. Neil rolled his eyes and acted like he didn't appreciate the offer. "I'm a big boy, Drew. I think I can handle this all on my own." 

"Yeah, okay," Andrew rolled his eyes right back. 

Neil held back his smirk and turned to leave. Andrew's whine of protest stopped him before he could open the door. "What?" He asked, turning back to face the bed. 

Andrew whined again, waiting for Neil's slow mind to make the connection to what he wanted. 

"Oh," Neil muttered and quickly made his way back over to the bed so he could place a small kiss to Andrew's temple. Andrew whined again when Neil pulled away and Neil faked a huff of annoyance before he moved his lips to press them to Andrew's. 

"Now, go. Don't come back dead." Andrew pushed him away softly with the hand that wasn't trapped by Kevin's body.

"No promises." Neil fake smiled and left without another word. 

The walk to the office was quick, seeing as nobody was in the halls. It was Saturday morning, most students were either nursing hangovers in their rooms or still sleeping. 

The office was quiet when he entered and he gave Betsy, the receptionist, a small wave as he passed. "He's free, just remember to knock." She smiled at him, so sweet and so unlike any of the other people who worked for the school. Neil wondered how she ended up at a job like this but then he remember that Betsy was more than she seemed. 

She was the receptionist for the office, but she doubled as the school's therapist. Neil had been forced to talk to her for the first few months he stayed here. She actually wasn't all that bad, really, and she was probably one of the only people on the school's staff that Neil genuinely respected and liked. 

She reminded him vaguely of what a mother should be like and that soothed something in Neil.

His own mother had never acted like his mom. She never hugged him, never read him bed time stories or kissed him goodnight. She never said she loved him. 

Neil knew that she loved him, though. She never said it, no, but she showed it with every slap, every harsh hissing word, and every painful yank of his hair. 

Neil stood in front of The Headmaster's door and took a deep breath. He was trying to get into one of his many characters. 

He entered the office without knocking, face void of all emotion and heart steeled for whatever fate The Headmaster had chosen for him.

The Headmaster was sitting behind his desk, clicking away at his computer. Glasses hung dangerously low on his nose, any moment now they would slip and fall right off. He didn't even bother to look up at Neil as he entered. 

Neil dropped down carelessly into one of the horrible purple chairs in front of the desk and swung his feet up. They landed haphazardly next to a stack of papers, which went flying off the desk when Neil nudged them with his foot. 

He crossed his arms over his chest and said, "Sup, David?" 

The cane came out of no where and connected with Neil's legs. The awful thunk of silver meeting flesh made Neil's stomach lurch as he swallowed his yelp of pain and put his feet firmly back on the floor. 

Neil hadn't even seen the man move. How had he grabbed his cane so fast? 

"Call me by my first name one more time, Josten, and I'll break your fingers." 

Ice filled Neil's veins and he unconsciously pushed himself further into the chair in an attempt to get further out of The Headmaster's reach. 

"Pick them up." 

Neil got up a little too quickly and dropped to his knees, picking up the papers he'd knocked off the desk. The only sound that filled the office was the annoying clacking of The Headmaster typing and the shuffling of paper as Neil collected them all. 

He set the stack back on the desk where it'd been before and sat back in his chair. 

He waited. 

He thought waiting was the worst part. His mind raced with all the possibilities of what could happen to him. No matter what anyone thought, if you attended this school, The Headmaster owned you. Your life was in his hands and he could crush you with a single flick of his wrist. 

It reminded Neil a little bit too much of his father. 

The Headmaster clicked something on the screen and sat back in his desk chair as he finally turned to look at Neil. 

"You look like hell." He said and Neil blankly stared back at him. 

The Headmaster sighed and crossed his arms as he studied Neil. 

Neil felt incredibly uncomfortable under the older man's gaze. It was like he was sizing Neil up before they fought. 

"Your punishment," The Headmaster said, "will last for the next two months. You'll be taking care of some of our contracts and tutoring the freshman down in the basement every Friday. I debated on whether I should make you babysit the first graders but the freshman will be torture enough."

Neil's leg bounced involuntarily from his nerves. 

"After those two months are up, we'll talk again and see if you'll need further punishment." 

Neil nodded, his nerves slowly dissipating. The bright side, he still had two months. The down side, he would be in the basement. 

He would take the basement over getting shot in the back of the head and burned any day. 

"Thank you, Headmaster." 

"Leave." The Headmaster muttered after a few more seconds of studying Neil. He turned back to his computer as Neil left his office. 


End file.
